Thank you for taking the time to do this! I have been interested in this program but I wanted to "see" it first. Yours is the first review I have watched that actually shows how the program works. After watching this I am sold that this could work really well for my reluctant writers. Thanks!
This is the best IEW explanation I've seen by far! I found it after watching your video on different writing curricula, which was also done well. This has really helped me decide to pull the trigger on this curriculum. Thank you!
I seriously watch most of your videos to get your input on curriculum. We have implemented a lot of your suggestions and are very happy with them. Excited to give this a try with my 2 oldest!
Thanks so much for this review! I've been procrastinating at using IEW Writing for a few yrs because I was afraid that it would be too overwhelming to use. Thanks for helping me to get started on it and making it look so easy.
Your video really pushed me over the edge of feeling uncertain about this curriculum. We are 3 months in on SWI - C for our 6th and 9th grader and absolutely loving it! The transformation in their writing is unbelievable! Thank you! You really did a great job with your review!
Jennifer, is SWI C was challenging for your 6th grader? My daughter will be in 6th next year, she is OK with grammar but her writing skills are very, very low.
@@IrynaBoehland My 6th grader was an eager though undisciplined writer. She already loved to write. We finished SWI-C and she's so excited to use IEW Narnia this year. 😊
Erica, I wanted to say that when I first saw the length of the video, I was reluctant to sit and watch it, but I am so glad I did. It was very helpful. I purchased the "Teaching Writing: Structure and Style years ago for my older son, but never used it as he elected to take writing at a co-op. Now with my younger son, I have come to the conclusion that the Literature and writing co-op is no longer a good match for him, so I will be pulling him out. The teach IEW, so he has some experience with it, but the work load is not allowing him to do the other class work he needs to do at home. When I looked at the set I bought I was intimidated, but this video was extremely helpful. Thank you so much. The time spent watching was well worth it.
Thank you Erica! I just ordered the intensive A program for my 3rd grader. I am excited to see if this will encourage him to begin to enjoy writing a bit more or at least help him realize he does not need to be intimidated. I really appreciate this detailed, honest and well done review! This really helped me to decide if this was something I should order for my son. Blessings!
Hi Robin, how did this work out for you? Was third grade too soon to start IEW? Did your child actually retain the information presented, and blossom as a writer? Now that a year has passed, would it have been better to wait until grade 4 to start IEW? I am asking because I wrestling with this situation right now. Thanks in advance for your response!
Thank you so much for your review. The way you lay out the materials and give an example of your lesson structure is very helpful. If you could show how to pair this with Fix it! Grammar (and the time commitment) that would also be appreciated.
Thanks so much! Your review answered so many questions I had about IEW (especially about the extra teacher training course). I'm excited to start it with my son next year!
I have been waiting to use iew for three years now (child wasn't old enough) and now it's time to buy and I almost got swayed to another curriculum because there are so many reviews out there for that particular program, but I come back to this review and your fix it grammar review and realize why i planned for using iew in the first place! It fits my teaching style and what I need and want from a writting and grammar curriculum! Thanks for this review,
I see how at first you thought this curriculum was intimidating, but it's peacefully teaching the students. Thanks for this video. I appreciate your detail.
Thanks for such a great review! I have been wondering about the ins and outs of IEW, but since my boys are still learning to read, writing hasn't been on the top of my list.
Great video! Super helpful! My daughter is going into 6th grade in the fall. I would like to order B. What exactly do I order? The website is kind of confusing.
You can either order the teacher/student kit which comes with everything you need (Tm, DVDs, Student workbooks), or you can order them individually depending on how many students you have.
It appears that they have stopped making the edition that you mention that only has the DVD, teacher maunal and student book. Any suggestions or links you can help me out with?
Hi, Yes they've moved to an upgraded streaming version. Structure and Style for Students is the new equivalent for their original writing curriculum. We have it and will use it this year with our youngest.
Okay great. Thank you for your quick response. I'm so torn on whether to do dvds or streaming. It says forever streaming. But i'm sure when they do new edition in future, you'll have to rebuy everything. Also was thinking that dvds are becoming less and less popular n eventually it will be hard to find a dvd player. And they can get scratched. Any thoughts? Also do you know if they still offer the pdf of student workbook?
Hi Erica. I have been doing a lot of research to try to find a great writing program for this upcoming school year and in doing so I came across your video about IEW. I am sold! I do have a question about the set you bought. Did it come with a teacher's book or did you have to buy that separate?
You can either purchase the kit that comes with the TM, plus student materials, or purchase them separately. I purchased mine used from a used curriculum fair and it came with the TM and DVDs, then I went online and purchased just the student materials.
Hi Erica, Thank you so much for all you do. I recently found you and love your videos as well as your blog. If you have already answered this I'm sorry I didn't see it anywhere. I have 3rd and 5th grade boys going into 4th and 6th. We are going to do The Nose Tree this coming year and want to include IEW writing. My 5th grader does pretty well in writing/grammar, but my 3rd grader struggles a little more. Should they both do the same level? Thank you and have a great day
Yes, you can do the same level with both of them. I think you'll find your 3rd grader will improve quickly based on their style and the lessons in the videos.
I would love for you to make an update video sharing some of the differences between the old and new format of the student writing intensive DVDs vs streaming. Like, are the videos more consistent (not 10 minutes long some days and over an hour others)? Are some still a little detached from the lessons (when they'd go over just a few dress ups and not talk about the current lesson's outline)? Is there now a video with every lesson or do some weeks have no video like before? I have a few dvd series I have done with my oldest, but is it worth it to get the streaming to use from here on out for him and my other children? I can't find a video comparing the old and new programs anywhere. Please do one!
When you get the the theme based years 5th grade seems to be the first year of this, they do not seem to have any dvd's with the student/teacher materials, have you been able to teach these ones without having gone through the seminar or dvd course?? I am not there yet, just wondering how it would affect my ability to teach those particular years effectively.
Hmmm...I haven't used them so I'm not sure if you would know what to do without having first gone through the Group A, B, OR C units first. You may want to email them and ask if the TM is self explanatory or if those units are meant to be used after going through one of their student writing intensives first.
Erica, thank you so much for this incredible and thorough review! You mentioned it a couple of times, but to be clear...is it possible to teach this curriculum with ONLY the Teacher & Student handouts? And withOUT the DVDs? Thank you for your help!
No, you need the DVDs for this curriculum along with the teacher/student handouts. There are instructions in the Teachers portion, but I really think you need the DVDs to do it properly. Just my opinion :)
I have just starring using IEW this year through my co-op and I am really enjoying it for my big kids. We are using the history based one. I notice you print out a lot of different things yourself from other vidoes as well as this one. My printer isn't that great and printing too many pages at once makes it act up even though I have cleaned it. What kind of printer do you use?
We ended up investing in a laser printer because they give more output per toner cartridge than a regular ink jet. But there are also online places that can offer less expensive printing as well :) Mine is a Brother 3170CW laser but I don't think they make it anymore. It's an older model.
Thank you for the video, Erika, and for the links. My daughter will be in 6th grade next year. We do Classical education with charter school this year. Her grammar is good, but writing is low, despite the Put That In Writing program they use. I would say she is a reluctant writer. Would C fit her or better start with B, in your opinion? Thank you
Hi. I was able to find DVDs used and planned on purchasing the student papers and teachers manual from the IEW site. I can not find the teacher's manual anywhere on their site for level A only the continuation level. Do you have an idea where it is? I've emailed them but they haven't answered. Thanks.
Thank you for doing this, Erica! So, when you're grading, does IEW not have you correct misplaced commas? I see several commas that are out of place (as well as several dependent clauses that aren't marked as incorrect). How does the program have you check for such things?
Yes, it does have you do commas, quotations, proper ending marks, etc. The student corrects the items and then writes the finished version in their notebook. They don't start off worrying about all of that though. They work on adding one new thing each lesson. So commas, quotes, etc. come later on in the year.
I used BJU Writing and Grammar up through 9th grade. I wanted to focus on writing skills for my 10th grader and was thinking about purchasing IEW. Do you think I would also need to have another source for grammar as well? Great video and loved all the details.
For ninth grade you probably don't need another grammar program, but if you feel like your student needed more help with grammar then I do like the IEW Fix it! Grammar units.
@@erica_arndt I thought Fix it Grammar was something they needed to do on the side. So, are you saying that we don't need to do Fix it grammar also? (I have a high schooler)
Thanks for this. It was a bit overwhelming. Not sure if this is right for us. 😏 I don’t really understand when you said that they take key words and write their own version. Is there more guidance as to how to write?
I saw in a previous video you used WriteShop. Why did you switch and how would you compare the two? I started WriteShop Primary with my 7yr old (who is a reluctant writer), but I'm considering using IEW instead.
Hi, we used WriteShop several years ago. I do like that program, and it's good for younger students. We switched to IEW though because I prefer the DVD lessons and style of this program better, but both are good curriculum!
We are gonna try IEW soon. I was curious do all of your kids do the same lesson at the same time? Or are they on different lessons? Didn't know if that depends on age or not. Thanks
Yes, we're all doing the same lesson each day. It's just easier on me for grading purposes, plus I can teach just the one lesson as well as review the same vocab words, and talk about similar mistakes they're all making.
Hi Erica, maybe I missed this in the video, but at what age did your children start IEW? Would third grade be too soon to start IEW? Can a child actually retain the information presented, and blossom as a writer? Do you think it would be better to wait until grade 4 to start IEW? I am asking because I am wrestling with this situation right now. Thanks in advance for your response!
I start them in third grade with Level A Student Writing Intensive. If it's a little too much for them, then I just spread the Level A lessons out over two years. It has worked well for all of my kiddos :)
This is so helpful! I got to meet the creator of this at our homeschool convention last year. I loved his sessions, but didn't totally understand the program, so this helps a lot! Do you still do an English program along with this, or does this take place of your English as well? Right now we are doing BJU English and handwriting for my girls who are second grade, but I would like to add this in at some point.
Last year we used BJU English with it, but skipped the writing chapters and just did the grammar chapters. This year we're using IEW Fix It! Grammar and loving it. It correlates well with IEW Writing.
Hi, no I loved writeshop for when they were younger, but as they got older we moved over to IEW for writing. I would NOT suggest doing both programs. IEW suggests starting around grade 3, so WriteShop is a great thing to use prior to that.
Erica Arndt okay I am shopping around it is for my 8th grader that doesn’t really have strong writing skills . So I remember you use to use writeshop so I was just wondering. Does IEW have an assessment or at least a guideline for which program to start with?
What level do you suggest my reluctant writer start out with if he is a rising 9th grader? I was going to choose Level C, only because I thought It was for high school. But do you think I should go with Level B instead and then transition to Level B Continuation instead?
Did you ever contact the company to ask? From what I can tell, it's not aligned to CCSS at all. As a writer and copy editor, I'm not really a fan of IEW...but I appreciate this "inside view" into the program. :)
There is an article on the IEW help page where Andrew addresses this topic. From what I understand the IEW approach yields results that are far superior to common core standards.
They begin using full literary pieces in the Themed Based Writing Units. For the Student Writing Intensives they have smaller segments of literary work that the kids write from.
We usually do the video on one day, and then use the rest of the week for the writing assignment. But sometimes if the videos are long I'll break it up in two. Otherwise we usually spend about 20-30min on writing.
I have a 4th and 6th grader, do you think it would be okay to start them both on level A? Or should I do separate levels? Thank you for doing these very informative videos ❤️
@@erica_arndt know of the check list for stories but I still haven't seen anything like the grading sheet you showed in this video. And a bought the duplex package with both teacher, student and grammar bk 1. I love your videos I started watching your videos for ways to tutor my twin girls, 3 yr 9mths and oldest girl 11. I've gotten so much ideas, working materials and great books. Because of your detailed review on this program I purchased it. Thank you. I am looking for a science curriculum for my eldest with a teacher guide any advice.
I'm starting a 3rd grader this year. It's this ok for me to use for my 3rd grade, I'm currently using abeka but when it comes to writing stores my son does exactly what you mentioned in here he hates coming up with stores and writes 3 lanes and he thinks this story it's done lol.
Which IEW writing program would you recommend for someone in 10th grade who likes to write but also struggles with it and has never done any IEW stuff before?
If you haven't used their curriculum before I would start with Student Writing Intensive Level C. Check their website: iew.com/affiliate/279406/ Click on SHOP then on Decision Tree and you can see the recommended path.
IEW transitioned to the Student Structure and Style model, but still have three levels. Level A is for grades 3-5, they also have Levels B and C for older students.
Erica Arndt Next year I will have a 5th grade and a 7th grader. Do you think I will need A and B? I was hoping to combined where I can. Also, I like how this is broken down so well and that the teaching is done via dvd. Is there something you recommend to fill in the other aspects of LA (grammar, literature/reading?? Vocab and spelling aren’t as intimating because they are pretty straightforward to teach, but I’m super intimated by the other aspects of it as I’m not confident in my own skills.
Thank you for taking the time to share such a thorough review. If a someone starts at level B for 7th grade do they simply continue with continuation B or start at level B but continue with continuation a,b and c. Thank you for taking the time to respond back.
Yes, if you start with Level B you move on to continuation B. The age of your student is what dictates which level to start on, then you move to that same level continuation. Hope that makes sense!
When your daughter was doing this particular writing assignment, was she in a higher grade? I’m not sure my soon-to-be fourth grader could accomplish such a task, especially since she is not a strong speller and is a reluctant writer.
My third grader is using Level A now and we just take it a bit slower, but she's doing well. They don't focus on spelling in the writing curriculum, just structure and encouragement to get them going.
IEW encourages using strong verbs, adjectives, -ly adverbs, prepositions, etc. to help make students writing more interesting. For example instead of saying "The horse ran." It would be more interesting to say - "The horse (trotted/galloped/sauntered, etc)." Then to say: "The spotted horse galloped." would be even more interesting. Or what about "The spotted horse quickly galloped along the path.", or "After resting, the spotted horse quickly galloped along the beaten path." would be even more interesting. So students are encouraged to take basic sentences and turn them into something more descriptive.
As I've seen the term "strong verb" used, "run" is a strong verb (it changes its vowel), and "trot", "gallop", and "saunter" are weak verbs (they add -ed). There are a few exceptions (e.g. "hid" is a weak preterite even though it changes the vowel). I agree with using more descriptive verbs, but calling them "strong" can be confusing.
Called today - I was so excited to use it for this fall 2021. School starts up mid-August here in this state; so that is less than 3 months away. Unfortunately.... NOT PURCHASING! CUST SERV HARD SELL WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO HAVE AND NOT WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO PURCHASE. The guy I spoke with was so difficult; he kept repeating himself. And when I said that I wanted to buy the curriculum and some extra resources, he explained that one of the curriculums I was going to buy would not be out until MAYBE July. He stated that I should call back then. I said then I will get the other stuff I wanted to buy including the portable wall resources....he just kept trying to sell me something else - a completely different curriculum. He was so infuriating and kept repeating the same stuff over and over. I even asked him where in the website is the additional resources listed as I didn't see it in the "SHOP" section, but I had been looking at it just last night. I kept saying that I am not finding it - do you know where it is. I do not remember where on the IEW website that I found some extra resources. About 3 times I asked. Then finally I said to the guy - do you know IEW's website or should I speak with someone else. Then he finally said go to info and type pwss and you will find some of them. So, then I proceeded to look for the ones I was going to purchase. BUT he kept saying that he didn't want me to purchase anything until I purchased the curriculum. I told him we already went over that several times - YOU told me it would not be available until MAYBE mid-July. I asked if there was another cust serv rep I could speak to and he was so arrogant that he said I could talk to his manager/supervisor. * I just wanted to purchase some materials and that guy was so difficult - he should be fired or written up. NOT going to use IEW this Fall 2021 because of the lousy customer service.
Gosh, I'm sorry you had a bad experience, you may want to call back and see if you can get someone else. I have always had really good customer service from them, and they are always very helpful to get me what I need.
Writing is not my sons strong subject , he is. A freshman this year and well we both get frustrated a lot , where should he start ...his language arts is great but not crazy about what he should write about or rather how to put things together .
Thank you for taking the time to do this! I have been interested in this program but I wanted to "see" it first. Yours is the first review I have watched that actually shows how the program works. After watching this I am sold that this could work really well for my reluctant writers. Thanks!
I love how on point and yet thorough this review is.
This is the best IEW explanation I've seen by far! I found it after watching your video on different writing curricula, which was also done well. This has really helped me decide to pull the trigger on this curriculum. Thank you!
you are such a blessing. I completely appreciate your reviews
I seriously watch most of your videos to get your input on curriculum. We have implemented a lot of your suggestions and are very happy with them. Excited to give this a try with my 2 oldest!
Thanks so much for this review! I've been procrastinating at using IEW Writing for a few yrs because I was afraid that it would be too overwhelming to use. Thanks for helping me to get started on it and making it look so easy.
Your video really pushed me over the edge of feeling uncertain about this curriculum. We are 3 months in on SWI - C for our 6th and 9th grader and absolutely loving it! The transformation in their writing is unbelievable! Thank you! You really did a great job with your review!
Ya, I was nervous to start it too because it sounded hard for some reason, but I LOVE it! Glad to hear it's working for you :)
Jennifer, is SWI C was challenging for your 6th grader? My daughter will be in 6th next year, she is OK with grammar but her writing skills are very, very low.
@@IrynaBoehland My 6th grader was an eager though undisciplined writer. She already loved to write.
We finished SWI-C and she's so excited to use IEW Narnia this year. 😊
Erica, I wanted to say that when I first saw the length of the video, I was reluctant to sit and watch it, but I am so glad I did. It was very helpful. I purchased the "Teaching Writing: Structure and Style years ago for my older son, but never used it as he elected to take writing at a co-op. Now with my younger son, I have come to the conclusion that the Literature and writing co-op is no longer a good match for him, so I will be pulling him out. The teach IEW, so he has some experience with it, but the work load is not allowing him to do the other class work he needs to do at home. When I looked at the set I bought I was intimidated, but this video was extremely helpful. Thank you so much. The time spent watching was well worth it.
Thank you Erica! I just ordered the intensive A program for my 3rd grader. I am excited to see if this will encourage him to begin to enjoy writing a bit more or at least help him realize he does not need to be intimidated. I really appreciate this detailed, honest and well done review! This really helped me to decide if this was something I should order for my son. Blessings!
Hi Robin, how did this work out for you? Was third grade too soon to start IEW? Did your child actually retain the information presented, and blossom as a writer? Now that a year has passed, would it have been better to wait until grade 4 to start IEW? I am asking because I wrestling with this situation right now. Thanks in advance for your response!
We start this writing program tomorrow and am looking forward to it. You were a big help thank you so much!
Thank you so much for your review. The way you lay out the materials and give an example of your lesson structure is very helpful. If you could show how to pair this with Fix it! Grammar (and the time commitment) that would also be appreciated.
Thanks so much! Your review answered so many questions I had about IEW (especially about the extra teacher training course). I'm excited to start it with my son next year!
I have been waiting to use iew for three years now (child wasn't old enough) and now it's time to buy and I almost got swayed to another curriculum because there are so many reviews out there for that particular program, but I come back to this review and your fix it grammar review and realize why i planned for using iew in the first place! It fits my teaching style and what I need and want from a writting and grammar curriculum! Thanks for this review,
I see how at first you thought this curriculum was intimidating, but it's peacefully teaching the students. Thanks for this video. I appreciate your detail.
This is an answered prayer for our family. Thank you for your review. Be blessed
What an amazing curriculum. I want to try this for myself!! Thank you so much for the explanation!
This is definitely going on the maybe list. I like the concept. Your explanation was very understandable and clear, thank you.
Thanks for such a great review! I have been wondering about the ins and outs of IEW, but since my boys are still learning to read, writing hasn't been on the top of my list.
Thank you for this review! It's was more helpful than anything else I've come across.
Thank you - very thorough review. How would you compare IEW vs EIW? Thanks.
I grew up homeschooled. This was honestly a great curriculum.
Great video! Super helpful! My daughter is going into 6th grade in the fall. I would like to order B. What exactly do I order? The website is kind of confusing.
You can either order the teacher/student kit which comes with everything you need (Tm, DVDs, Student workbooks), or you can order them individually depending on how many students you have.
Is level B ok for 6th graders? I am also confused 😂
It appears that they have stopped making the edition that you mention that only has the DVD, teacher maunal and student book. Any suggestions or links you can help me out with?
Hi, Yes they've moved to an upgraded streaming version. Structure and Style for Students is the new equivalent for their original writing curriculum. We have it and will use it this year with our youngest.
Okay great. Thank you for your quick response. I'm so torn on whether to do dvds or streaming. It says forever streaming. But i'm sure when they do new edition in future, you'll have to rebuy everything. Also was thinking that dvds are becoming less and less popular n eventually it will be hard to find a dvd player. And they can get scratched. Any thoughts? Also do you know if they still offer the pdf of student workbook?
Hi Erica. I have been doing a lot of research to try to find a great writing program for this upcoming school year and in doing so I came across your video about IEW. I am sold! I do have a question about the set you bought. Did it come with a teacher's book or did you have to buy that separate?
You can either purchase the kit that comes with the TM, plus student materials, or purchase them separately. I purchased mine used from a used curriculum fair and it came with the TM and DVDs, then I went online and purchased just the student materials.
Hi Erica,
Thank you so much for all you do. I recently found you and love your videos as well as your blog. If you have already answered this I'm sorry I didn't see it anywhere. I have 3rd and 5th grade boys going into 4th and 6th. We are going to do The Nose Tree this coming year and want to include IEW writing. My 5th grader does pretty well in writing/grammar, but my 3rd grader struggles a little more. Should they both do the same level? Thank you and have a great day
Yes, you can do the same level with both of them. I think you'll find your 3rd grader will improve quickly based on their style and the lessons in the videos.
I know this is an old video but so helpful! Thank you!
What a great review! So helpful! Thank you so much!
I would love for you to make an update video sharing some of the differences between the old and new format of the student writing intensive DVDs vs streaming. Like, are the videos more consistent (not 10 minutes long some days and over an hour others)? Are some still a little detached from the lessons (when they'd go over just a few dress ups and not talk about the current lesson's outline)? Is there now a video with every lesson or do some weeks have no video like before?
I have a few dvd series I have done with my oldest, but is it worth it to get the streaming to use from here on out for him and my other children? I can't find a video comparing the old and new programs anywhere. Please do one!
Hi, they're actually very similar, but just streaming rather than DVD.
thanks for this review! I was definitely wondering what this curriculum was. ..
Thank you!! I have been looking forward to this review : )
This is a great review!! Thanks so much for sharing
Thank you! This was incredibly helpful.
When you get the the theme based years 5th grade seems to be the first year of this, they do not seem to have any dvd's with the student/teacher materials, have you been able to teach these ones without having gone through the seminar or dvd course?? I am not there yet, just wondering how it would affect my ability to teach those particular years effectively.
Hmmm...I haven't used them so I'm not sure if you would know what to do without having first gone through the Group A, B, OR C units first. You may want to email them and ask if the TM is self explanatory or if those units are meant to be used after going through one of their student writing intensives first.
Thank you so much for this! :) You did a very clear job! We are pulling the trigger!
Hey Erica, thanks for doing this video. Where do I print out a teacher's manual for intensive A? Thanks
I'm not sure what you purchased from them, but it should have come with your order. I would contact them.
Erica, thank you so much for this incredible and thorough review! You mentioned it a couple of times, but to be clear...is it possible to teach this curriculum with ONLY the Teacher & Student handouts? And withOUT the DVDs? Thank you for your help!
No, you need the DVDs for this curriculum along with the teacher/student handouts. There are instructions in the Teachers portion, but I really think you need the DVDs to do it properly. Just my opinion :)
Erica Arndt ok thanks! I was hoping I could get by without it.
I have just starring using IEW this year through my co-op and I am really enjoying it for my big kids. We are using the history based one. I notice you print out a lot of different things yourself from other vidoes as well as this one. My printer isn't that great and printing too many pages at once makes it act up even though I have cleaned it. What kind of printer do you use?
We ended up investing in a laser printer because they give more output per toner cartridge than a regular ink jet. But there are also online places that can offer less expensive printing as well :) Mine is a Brother 3170CW laser but I don't think they make it anymore. It's an older model.
Can you tell me what places online do printing for you?- Thanks!
Thank you for the video, Erika, and for the links. My daughter will be in 6th grade next year. We do Classical education with charter school this year. Her grammar is good, but writing is low, despite the Put That In Writing program they use. I would say she is a reluctant writer. Would C fit her or better start with B, in your opinion? Thank you
On their website I believe they recommend Level B for grades 6-8 so I would start there.
Thank you!
Hi. I was able to find DVDs used and planned on purchasing the student papers and teachers manual from the IEW site. I can not find the teacher's manual anywhere on their site for level A only the continuation level. Do you have an idea where it is? I've emailed them but they haven't answered. Thanks.
iew.com/shop/products/student-writing-intensive-level-notebook-packet
Thank you for doing this, Erica! So, when you're grading, does IEW not have you correct misplaced commas? I see several commas that are out of place (as well as several dependent clauses that aren't marked as incorrect). How does the program have you check for such things?
Yes, it does have you do commas, quotations, proper ending marks, etc. The student corrects the items and then writes the finished version in their notebook. They don't start off worrying about all of that though. They work on adding one new thing each lesson. So commas, quotes, etc. come later on in the year.
Thank you, I had the same question! I am still looking for all inclusive - LA curriculum
I used BJU Writing and Grammar up through 9th grade. I wanted to focus on writing skills for my 10th grader and was thinking about purchasing IEW. Do you think I would also need to have another source for grammar as well? Great video and loved all the details.
For ninth grade you probably don't need another grammar program, but if you feel like your student needed more help with grammar then I do like the IEW Fix it! Grammar units.
@@erica_arndt I thought Fix it Grammar was something they needed to do on the side. So, are you saying that we don't need to do Fix it grammar also? (I have a high schooler)
Thanks for this. It was a bit overwhelming. Not sure if this is right for us. 😏 I don’t really understand when you said that they take key words and write their own version. Is there more guidance as to how to write?
I saw in a previous video you used WriteShop. Why did you switch and how would you compare the two? I started WriteShop Primary with my 7yr old (who is a reluctant writer), but I'm considering using IEW instead.
Hi, we used WriteShop several years ago. I do like that program, and it's good for younger students. We switched to IEW though because I prefer the DVD lessons and style of this program better, but both are good curriculum!
Thanks, that's good to know.
We are gonna try IEW soon. I was curious do all of your kids do the same lesson at the same time? Or are they on different lessons? Didn't know if that depends on age or not. Thanks
Yes, we're all doing the same lesson each day. It's just easier on me for grading purposes, plus I can teach just the one lesson as well as review the same vocab words, and talk about similar mistakes they're all making.
Thanks
Hi Erica, maybe I missed this in the video, but at what age did your children start IEW? Would third grade be too soon to start IEW? Can a child actually retain the information presented, and blossom as a writer? Do you think it would be better to wait until grade 4 to start IEW? I am asking because I am wrestling with this situation right now. Thanks in advance for your response!
I start them in third grade with Level A Student Writing Intensive. If it's a little too much for them, then I just spread the Level A lessons out over two years. It has worked well for all of my kiddos :)
OH my gosh this is so helpful! Thank you!
This is so helpful! I got to meet the creator of this at our homeschool convention last year. I loved his sessions, but didn't totally understand the program, so this helps a lot! Do you still do an English program along with this, or does this take place of your English as well? Right now we are doing BJU English and handwriting for my girls who are second grade, but I would like to add this in at some point.
Last year we used BJU English with it, but skipped the writing chapters and just did the grammar chapters. This year we're using IEW Fix It! Grammar and loving it. It correlates well with IEW Writing.
Oh! I didn't realize they had a grammar program as well. Thank you! I'll look into that one as well.
Do you also need to add a spelling program on top of this?
Do you still use the writeshop program as well as the IEW? If so would you suggest having both programs for writing?
Hi, no I loved writeshop for when they were younger, but as they got older we moved over to IEW for writing. I would NOT suggest doing both programs. IEW suggests starting around grade 3, so WriteShop is a great thing to use prior to that.
Erica Arndt okay I am shopping around it is for my 8th grader that doesn’t really have strong writing skills . So I remember you use to use writeshop so I was just wondering. Does IEW have an assessment or at least a guideline for which program to start with?
can you send me a link to your site where I can find the buy and sell used section to look for this?
Sure! Click here, then click on "buy/sell/trade' community.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/categories
Thank you. This review was very helpful.
Great review...and cute hair! 💜
What level do you suggest my reluctant writer start out with if he is a rising 9th grader? I was going to choose Level C, only because I thought It was for high school. But do you think I should go with Level B instead and then transition to Level B Continuation instead?
I would start with whatever level they suggest for a 9th grader.
This has been so helpful!!!
Thank you so much for sharing ❤️
Do you have to go through the training DVDs to be able to teach this?
No, I just watched with my students.
thank you for this video it was very helpful.
This video was So helpful!!
Thanks for this review. Compared to BJU it sounds like to much work for me.
Hi. Thank you for your review. I am worried about the curriculum not meeting common core standards. Would you know anything about that?
I'm sorry I don't know if it is common core compliant, I would suggest you contact them and ask :)
Did you ever contact the company to ask? From what I can tell, it's not aligned to CCSS at all. As a writer and copy editor, I'm not really a fan of IEW...but I appreciate this "inside view" into the program. :)
The Pajama Crafter I know this is an old comment, but as someone considering IEW, I’m curious to know your criticisms of the curriculum. Tiy!
Why are you not a fan of IEW?
There is an article on the IEW help page where Andrew addresses this topic. From what I understand the IEW approach yields results that are far superior to common core standards.
Quick question at what level do they begin to study literary devices - not sure if it was mentioned?
They begin using full literary pieces in the Themed Based Writing Units. For the Student Writing Intensives they have smaller segments of literary work that the kids write from.
This was very helpful
how long do the lessons take, would you recommend level B for 7th and 11th grades at the same time?
We usually do the video on one day, and then use the rest of the week for the writing assignment. But sometimes if the videos are long I'll break it up in two. Otherwise we usually spend about 20-30min on writing.
Thank you , it is so helpful , I m sure this will help me :)
I have a 4th and 6th grader, do you think it would be okay to start them both on level A? Or should I do separate levels? Thank you for doing these very informative videos ❤️
Hi, yes you could definitely do that!
I have a 5th and a 7th grader. Should I get level A for both of them? First time Homeschooling mom here
I have the level B IEW both teacher and student programs but I can't see to find a grading sheet? Can you explain where do I get it from?
Hi, the grading checklists come with the curriculum, they follow each writing assignment because they change as you go through the curriculum.
@@erica_arndt know of the check list for stories but I still haven't seen anything like the grading sheet you showed in this video. And a bought the duplex package with both teacher, student and grammar bk 1. I love your videos I started watching your videos for ways to tutor my twin girls, 3 yr 9mths and oldest girl 11. I've gotten so much ideas, working materials and great books. Because of your detailed review on this program I purchased it. Thank you. I am looking for a science curriculum for my eldest with a teacher guide any advice.
What do you do after the continuation course for your level?
They have several options from themed writing units, speech, Advanced communication series, etc. You can choose what fits your needs best.
I'm starting a 3rd grader this year. It's this ok for me to use for my 3rd grade, I'm currently using abeka but when it comes to writing stores my son does exactly what you mentioned in here he hates coming up with stores and writes 3 lanes and he thinks this story it's done lol.
Yes, I believe they recommend starting with Group A Student Intensive for third grade
thank you so much
Thanks for the review.for 6th grade, which level could we use?
Level B is for 6-8 grades.
WOW. Thank you so much!
Which IEW writing program would you recommend for someone in 10th grade who likes to write but also struggles with it and has never done any IEW stuff before?
If you haven't used their curriculum before I would start with Student Writing Intensive Level C. Check their website: iew.com/affiliate/279406/ Click on SHOP then on Decision Tree and you can see the recommended path.
@@erica_arndt thank you! I will check that out!
Hi. The curriculum you shown is for level A? Is it too simple for 5th grade?
IEW transitioned to the Student Structure and Style model, but still have three levels. Level A is for grades 3-5, they also have Levels B and C for older students.
I have a 7th grader that i'm homeschooling. Would you recommend that i still start with level A?
I've found Level A was a good place to start, but I also had younger kids when I started. I believe they suggest starting with Level B for grades 6-8.
Erica Arndt Next year I will have a 5th grade and a 7th grader. Do you think I will need A and B? I was hoping to combined where I can. Also, I like how this is broken down so well and that the teaching is done via dvd. Is there something you recommend to fill in the other aspects of LA (grammar, literature/reading?? Vocab and spelling aren’t as intimating because they are pretty straightforward to teach, but I’m super intimated by the other aspects of it as I’m not confident in my own skills.
Thanks sooo much for this
Thank you.
Thank you for taking the time to share such a thorough review. If a someone starts at level B for 7th grade do they simply continue with continuation B or start at level B but continue with continuation a,b and c. Thank you for taking the time to respond back.
Yes, if you start with Level B you move on to continuation B. The age of your student is what dictates which level to start on, then you move to that same level continuation. Hope that makes sense!
Do they get into opinion, narrative, book report etc?
Yes, once kids learn the basics they start doing different types of writing assignments.
When your daughter was doing this particular writing assignment, was she in a higher grade? I’m not sure my soon-to-be fourth grader could accomplish such a task, especially since she is not a strong speller and is a reluctant writer.
My third grader is using Level A now and we just take it a bit slower, but she's doing well. They don't focus on spelling in the writing curriculum, just structure and encouragement to get them going.
Why are strong verbs important? Would you consider "swell" a weak verb (swelled) or a strong verb (swollen)?
IEW encourages using strong verbs, adjectives, -ly adverbs,
prepositions, etc. to help make students writing more interesting. For
example instead of saying "The horse ran." It would be more interesting
to say - "The horse (trotted/galloped/sauntered, etc)." Then to say: "The
spotted horse galloped." would be even more interesting. Or what about
"The spotted horse quickly galloped along the path.", or "After resting,
the spotted horse quickly galloped along the beaten path." would be
even more interesting. So students are encouraged to take basic
sentences and turn them into something more descriptive.
As I've seen the term "strong verb" used, "run" is a strong verb (it changes its vowel), and "trot", "gallop", and "saunter" are weak verbs (they add -ed). There are a few exceptions (e.g. "hid" is a weak preterite even though it changes the vowel). I agree with using more descriptive verbs, but calling them "strong" can be confusing.
Verbs that change their vowel based on tense i.e. run, ran are called "irregular verbs" not "strong verbs".
Where can I get the Grade Sheet?
It comes with the curriculum
Crisp, time saving and helpful! Thank you:)
What literature curriculums do you recommend for high school students?
We are using Introduction to Literature by Janice Campbell.
@@erica_arndt thank you!
Thank you!
Called today - I was so excited to use it for this fall 2021. School
starts up mid-August here in this state; so that is less than 3 months
away. Unfortunately.... NOT PURCHASING! CUST SERV HARD SELL WHAT
THEY WANT YOU TO HAVE AND NOT WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO PURCHASE. The guy I
spoke with was so difficult; he kept repeating himself. And when I said
that I wanted to buy the curriculum and some extra resources, he
explained that one of the curriculums I was going to buy would not be
out until MAYBE July. He stated that I should call back then. I said
then I will get the other stuff I wanted to buy including the portable
wall resources....he just kept trying to sell me something else - a
completely different curriculum. He was so infuriating and kept
repeating the same stuff over and over. I even asked him where in the
website is the additional resources listed as I didn't see it in the
"SHOP" section, but I had been looking at it just last night. I kept
saying that I am not finding it - do you know where it is. I do not
remember where on the IEW website that I found some extra resources.
About 3 times I asked. Then finally I said to the guy - do you know
IEW's website or should I speak with someone else. Then he finally said
go to info and type pwss and you will find some of them. So, then I
proceeded to look for the ones I was going to purchase. BUT he kept
saying that he didn't want me to purchase anything until I purchased the
curriculum. I told him we already went over that several times - YOU
told me it would not be available until MAYBE mid-July. I asked if
there was another cust serv rep I could speak to and he was so arrogant
that he said I could talk to his manager/supervisor. * I just wanted to
purchase some materials and that guy was so difficult - he should be
fired or written up. NOT going to use IEW this Fall 2021 because of
the lousy customer service.
Gosh, I'm sorry you had a bad experience, you may want to call back and see if you can get someone else. I have always had really good customer service from them, and they are always very helpful to get me what I need.
Writing is not my sons strong subject , he is. A freshman this year and well we both get frustrated a lot , where should he start ...his language arts is great but not crazy about what he should write about or rather how to put things together .
I would check their website. They have a "where to start" tab under the "intro to IEW" tab.
Erica Arndt thanks
What grade did you start this with your kids? Did you start your oldest with level A?
They recommend you start the Student Writing Intensive in grade 3.
You so all the levels of A, Do continue to level B?
Yes, if you did continuation level a, you move to continuation level b.
Thank you. It a bit confusing in what order you do everything. I am glad I was able ask you.